Govt fixes production targets for Kharif crop 2017-18

ISLAMABAD, April 21 (APP): The government on Friday has set the
production targets of major Kharif crops including sugarcane, rice,
maize and minor crops of the seasons like moong, mash, chillies and
tomatoes for fulfilling the domestic requirements as well as for
export.
Addressing a press conference, Minister for National Food Security and Research Sikandar Hayat Khan Bosan said that targets of all major cash crops of the season and minors crop were fixed in a meeting of Federal Committee on Agriculture (FCA) with the complete consensus of the provincial governments.
The meeting was attended by senior officials of the provincial food and agriculture departments, besides, officials from the State Bank of Pakistan, Zarai Taraqiati Bank Limited, Indus River System Authority, Meteorological Office also attend the meeting, he added.
He informed that government has set a target to produce about 68.517 million tons of sugarcane during current crop season by cultivating the crop over an area of 1164.2 thousand hectares.
Meanwhile, he said that rice production targets were fixed at 6.818 million tons by putting about 2,786 thousand hectares under the crop across the country.
Maize production targets during current Kharif season were fixed at 5.590 million tons by growing the crop over an areas of 1,205.1 thousand hectares, he added.
Sikandar Bosan said that in order to fulfill the domestic requirements of the pulses, the meeting has decided to cultivate moong pulse over 147.5 thousand hectares to produce about 120.6 thousand tons.
During the current sowing season mash pulse production targets were fixed at 11.3 thousand tons by growing the crop over an area of 22.1 thousand hectares of land, he added.
The minister said that chillies production targets were fixed at 118 thousand tons, where as it would be cultivated over 48.1 thousand hectares during the kharif season 2017-18, he added.
Regarding the availability of agri-inputs including certified seeds, water, fertilizers, pesticides and credit for sowing the next crop, he said that water availability in canals would remain 68.12 million acres feet (MAF) as against the requirements of 67.10 MAF, adding that at present all the provinces were getting their indented supplies in the system.
About 96.45 percent seeds of rice and maize would be available to farmers during the season, where as the financial institutions had assured for sufficient credit facility for them, he added.
While reviewing the performance of the Rabi crops, 2016-17, the minister informed that initially the wheat production was estimated at 26.1 million tons as against the set targets, he added.
Sikandar Bosan said that besides about 4.3 million carry forward stocks would also be available as there would be no dearth of wheat for domestic consumption.
He said that gram production was estimated at 357.8 thousand tons, adding that in order to enhance the pluses and oil seed production, a project would be started across the country to exploit the potential of these crops.
Replaying to a question, the minister said that due to farmers friendly policies of the government, the country was self sufficient in 11 grains of staple food.
He said that government was determined to reduce the input cost of agri-products in order to produce cost effective agri-produces for sustainable development of the sector and prosperity of the small scale farmers.
To an another question, he said that government would continue subsidy on fertilizers as due to the subsidy provided by the government on agri-inputs per acre yield had significantly increased.